GHARGE OF MURDER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1716, 18 January 1905, Page 20

GHARGE OF MURDER.

THE DEATH OF MRS DILLON. AUCKLAND, January 13. The charge against William Murton of murdering Mary Dillon, at Mercer, on January 3rd, was proceeded with at the Pukekahe Police Court to-day before Mr H. W. Northcroft, S.M. The case wag only partly heard, and was adjourned until to-morrow. The evidence was to the effect that while a flaxmill hand named Ogilvie was at Mrs Dillon’s house at Mercer she collapsed. A note was at once despatched to Mrs Robinson, living a quarter of a mile away, for assistance, and she sent her daughter. During the interval a man named Gillies and accused. who were passing Mrs Dillon’s, were called in, but accused remained outside. Mrs Robinson sent over her thirteen-year-old daughter to Mrs Dillon’s assistance. and when she arrived the men there left, leaving deceased lying upon a sofa. At deceased’s request the girl tidied the place, and gave her a pillow and a rug. Deceased covered herself with the rug, and the girl then left. On returning three hours later she found the blinds down—they were up when she left —and saw a horse standing outside. She and her sister, who accompanied her, remained outside, While there they heard sounds of a scuffle inside, and five minutes after accused emei'ged and went away on horseback. Before he did so the girl Robinson asked where Mrs Dillon was. He said: “Asleep inside. Don’t knock when you go in.” When the girl entered, deceased, whose clothes were disarranged, the rug being tucked in tightly about her, would not speak, and it was subsequently discovered that she was dead. The room was in a state of disorder. The girl said that 6he tidied everything up before she left on the first occasion.